Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Line: Euston Station

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 15 July (HL1419), and in respect of properties in Park Village East, what information HS2 Ltd has provided in its engagement with affected parties; what changes have been made to the current design as a result of this engagement; who has been identified as the affected parties; and whether they will place all relevant papers including any independent reports on ground movement in the Library of the House.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HS2 Ltd has kept local residents informed about the plans for the HS2 Euston Approaches through (i) a series of regular online and face to face information sessions; and (ii) online materials made available on the HS2 Ltd website. Most recently, in Spring 2022, HS2 Ltd hosted a series of information sessions, where updates were provided on the development of the design of the Euston Approaches, including the proposed tunnels. These virtual and in person information sessions were attended by Park Village East residents. The online materials include a Frequently Asked Questions document, which includes details of the developing designs, along with detailed responses to regular questions received from Park Village East residents about tunnelling and excavations. In parallel, HS2 Ltd has been in regular contact with relevant residents to arrange property surveys and other investigations to inform ground movement assessments associated with the proposed major excavations and tunnelling. As the detailed design of the tunnels progresses, HS2 Ltd will carry out further assessments and provide updates to relevant property owners. Property owners within the settlement buffer zone are able to apply for a settlement deed under the HS2 Act. Details of the final design are expected to be available to share. HS2 plan to finalise and share the tunnel design in spring 2023, and will keep the community informed if dates change, with tunnelling due to start in mid to late 2023. HS2 Ltd has changed the design based on community feedback is the Euston Cavern Headhouse planned for the northern end of Park Village East. The headhouse has been re-designed prior to submitting the town planning application to reflect the local residents’ preference for a red brick façade in keeping with the neighbouring Park Village Studios.

Attorney General

Offences against Children: Rotherham and Telford

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to ensure that prosecutions are brought against (1) the members of the child sexual exploitation gangs in Rotherham and Telford, and (2) the responsible authorities that failed to prevent the abuse from taking place.

Lord Stewart of Dirleton: Following the Alexis Jay report in 2014 and identification of the problems that existed in responding to investigations of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) gangs in Rotherham, the National Crime Agency (NCA) launched Operation Stovewood, a dedicated team investigating similar offending which had occurred within Rotherham. As outlined in the Telford Inquiry report, a number of other forces across the country have successfully investigated similar offending in their force areas. The CPS has a national response to these types of investigations. Each area has formerly dealt with large CSE cases within their Rape and Serious Sexual Offence (RASSO) units. Since its inception, Operation Stovewood has been handled by a team of lawyers within the former Organised Crime Division. On 1 April 2022, the CPS created a new unit in direct response to the number and scale of these investigations being undertaken across England and Wales. The Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit (OCSAU) is a dedicated team of lawyers, which in addition to the casework generated by NCA Op Stovewood and Child Exploitation and Online Protection teams, will undertake all similar casework generated by police forces nationwide. The unit currently has casework involving approximately 255 suspects and defendants. The lawyers within the unit work closely with investigators from the earliest stage of the commencement of investigations to ensure that the strongest possible cases can be built, so that those committing these offences are prosecuted. Where the CPS’s legal test is met, they will always prosecute these offenders for the offences they have committed.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health: Males

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to (1) ensuring men's health ismade a ministerial priority, and (2) making improvements to men's health a specific strand of work within the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

Lord Kamall: Improving the health of both men and women is a ministerial priority for the Department. Evidence suggests that men are disproportionately affected by certain conditions, such as ischemic heart disease, are more likely to smoke or engage in other health harming behaviours and are more likely to die by suicide. We have committed to reduce stroke and heart attacks and the forthcoming publication of the new Tobacco Control Plan will target groups where smoking rates are not decreasing, including men. We are also investing in measures to prevent suicide.While there are no current plans to make men’s health a specific strand of work, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities aims to improve the health of the population regardless of socio-economic background or gender.

Healthy Start Scheme

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan topublish data on the take-up of the Healthy Start scheme among eligible families in April 2022.

Lord Kamall: The information requested is not currently held centrally. The Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS Business Services Authority are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to obtain the relevant data as soon as possible. Once received, this information will be published online.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Taxation

Lord Gilbert of Panteg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the (1) total amount raised from employers, (2) total value of unspent funds in employers' digital voucher accounts at year end, and (3) total value of funds which expired unspent, in each financial year since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.

Baroness Barran: Details of the total value of apprenticeship levy paid by employers each month is published by HMRC in their Tax & National Insurance Contributions receipts publication, which can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk.Employers in England who pay the apprenticeship levy don’t use digital vouchers, but access funds for apprenticeship training by registering for an apprenticeship service account. The funds in employers’ accounts reflect the ‘English percentage’ of an employer’s levy contribution and include a 10% top-up from the government. Figures for the total value of levy balances in employers’ apprenticeship service accounts at the financial year end can be found in the table below: Total value of levy balances at financial year (FY) end (Rounded £Million)FY 2017-18FY 2018-19FY 2019-20FY 2020-21FY 2021-22£1,988£3,745£4,430£4,706£4,987 The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to use for 24 months before they begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis. Employers began to pay the apprenticeship levy in April 2017 and unused levy funds began to expire in May 2019. Figures for the funds which have expired from employers' levy accounts are shown in the table below: Expired (Rounded £Million)FY 2019-20FY 2020-21FY 2021-22£847£1,314£1,315 The department’s annual apprenticeship budget for England is set by HM Treasury and, although closely linked, is distinct from the total levy income collected. The levy has been set at a level to fund demand for apprenticeships in employers of all sizes. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to if they wish. As well as funding new apprenticeships in levy-paying employers, income from the levy funds new apprenticeships in employers that do not pay the levy, existing apprentices that started in previous years, English and maths tuition for apprentices and additional payments to employers, providers and apprentices.

Schools: Coronavirus

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations the Department for Education has made to either (1) the UK Health Security Agency, or (2) the Department of Health and Social Care, to encourage school staff to be given priority for COVID-19 booster vaccinations.

Baroness Barran: Identifying priority groups for vaccinations are clinical decisions taken by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), informed by advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI). JCVI advised that the primary objective of the 2022 autumn booster programme is to augment immunity in those at higher risk from COVID-19 and thereby optimise protection against severe COVID-19, specifically hospitalisation and death, over winter 2022/23.Other school staff are currently not eligible to receive an autumn booster as part of this programme. However, staff who meet the central eligibility criteria are entitled to a free flu vaccination through the NHS, and schools can choose to provide flu vaccines for their staff through their occupational health services.

English Language: Education

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure equal access to English for Speakers of Other Languages support.

Baroness Barran: The department recognises that language skills are crucial to help people integrate into life in England, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression.We fund adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for courses and qualifications, so that they can be confident they have the English language skills they need.Currently, approximately 60% of the AEB is devolved to 9 Mayoral Combined Authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the AEB in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas, where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB to meet the needs of their communities.Learner eligibility for public funding for education and training for adults, including English for Speakers of other Languages, is set out in the ESFA AEB Funding Rules for the 2021/22 funding year, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2021-to-2022.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to includinga module on self-care in the personal and social development curriculum taught in schools.

Baroness Barran: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education statutory guidance clearly sets out the content that should be covered in the topics of basic first aid and health and prevention, at both primary and secondary school. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education. The subjects have been designed to build knowledge and support the development of pupils’ self-control and their ability to self-regulate, as well as providing strategies for doing so.Health education covers aspects of self-care such as dental hygiene and personal hygiene. It also has a strong focus on mental wellbeing, including a recognition that mental wellbeing and physical health are linked. The aim is to give pupils the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, including self-care, and to recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns, including common types of mental ill health.To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the department has produced teacher training modules which are free to download from GOV.UK. These modules can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health#train-teachers-on-relationships-sex-and-health-education.

British Association for Shooting and Conservation: Schools

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of schools attending events run by the British Association of Shooting and Conservation and Gamekeepers and Landowners, as has occurred in Sheffield; and whether this has occurred in schools in other areas throughout England.

Baroness Barran: The department does not collect information on educational visits and has not, therefore, made any assessment on schools attending events run by the British Association of Shooting and Conservation and Gamekeepers and Landowners.The decision to undertake educational visits is entirely a matter for individual schools. However, the department provides guidance to help schools understand their obligations when undertaking educational visits and other out of school activities. Among other things, this includes advice on carrying out risk assessments and on seeking consent from parents.

Shipping: Education

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toincrease the uptake of maritime qualifications in (1) schools, and (2) colleges.

Baroness Barran: Provision is already available for both those under 16 in a school setting seeking to understand more about the industry, and for post-16 students studying at level 2 and 3, who may be seeking to undertake a qualification to progress into an apprenticeship or into employment and wish to take a qualification which will involve a work-based setting.There are around 40 qualifications focusing on aspects of maritime studies approved for funding for young people and adults, some of which are available only to adults. Others are available to those of school age or in further education. There are 12 apprenticeship standards in this sector approved for delivery, including Maritime Mechanical and Electrical Mechanic, Marine Surveyor, and Seafarer.The Careers & Enterprise Company is supporting schools and colleges to embed best practice in the delivery of careers information, advice, and guidance, so young people are aware of the full range of training and careers available to them and have access to a broad range of employers and workplaces, including those in the maritime sector. This will be delivered through the national roll-out of Career Hubs, Careers Leaders training, and the Enterprise Adviser Network.The department has recently established the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce (UKSST). This group is made up of representatives from across industry, trade unions, and training providers. It will look to address skills barriers in the sector by utilising and catalysing existing skills provisions. As part of this, existing provision will be reviewed to see how it can best meet the present skills demand and future needs. UKSST’s work will be driven by the needs of stakeholders from across the sector.

School Meals: Processed Food

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they plan to take in response to the study in the journal Nutrients, published on 21 July, which found that ultraprocessed food consisted of 82 per cent of the calories in packed school lunches and 64 per cent in school meals, with calories provided by these foods being 61 per cent of primary pupils' diets and 77 per cent of secondary pupils'.

Baroness Barran: A diet high in processed foods is often high in calories, salt, saturated fat and sugar and low in fibre, which is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is delivering a range of measures to help address the exposure and consumption of food and drink products high in saturated fat, sugar or salt, including restricting the advertising and promotions of these products, and a sugar reduction and wider reformulation programme. Further to the work being done by OHID, the department encourages all schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating, promoting healthy eating and providing healthy, tasty and nutritious food and drink. Compliance with the school food standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, including academies and free schools. The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 is available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made. Schools may use the school food standards as a guide when writing their packed lunch policies. For example, confectionery is banned throughout the school day and foods high in salt, sugar and fat are restricted. Schools can also confiscate items that are banned by the school rules. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation. The department also wants to make it easier for parents to feel confident that they are preparing healthy, balanced lunches for their children. Further information such as recipes, tips and swap suggestions for parents are available on the Change4Life website, which is available here: https://www.nhs.uk/change4life-beta/healthier-lunchboxes.

Further Education: Special Educational Needs

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further consultation opportunities they will provide for those involved in the education of SEND students withinfurther education colleges to inform the development of policy following the SEND green paper consultation.

Baroness Barran: The department will continue to work with partners, including further education providers, to design a national Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) improvement plan. This will be published later this year and will set out in detail how we will deliver improvements to the SEND and AP system, including in further education. In autumn, the department will establish a National SEND and AP Board to lead improvements in the system across education, health, and care. We will set out the board’s role and membership, including how we will ensure the voices and lived experiences of children, young people and their families are at the heart of the board discussions.

Ministry of Justice

Private Rented Housing: Arrears

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many county court judgements there havebeen for private renters for non-payment of arrears, each year for the past five years, across England and Wales.

Lord Bellamy: A landlord of a privately rented property may apply to the court either as part of an application seeking repossession of the property, or separately to eviction action, for a county court judgement seeking repayment of rent arrears from their tenant.Our case management systems do not record what a judgement debt relates to, this information is only recorded in the particulars of claim which would require manual reviewing of court files to extract and as such could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Published quarterly statistics on volumes of county court judgements can be found here – https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-justice-statistics-quarterly#2022Published quarterly statistics on possession volumes can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statisticsAt the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Government took unprecedented action to protect tenants from eviction resulting in the majority of possession claims being stayed until 20 September 2020. This meant that possession claims could not progress through the court process including hearings and enforcement action by way of evictions. Since the lifting of the stay, private rented possession claims have largely returned to pre-covid volumes, but social landlord possession claims remain supressed and are currently sitting at around 60% of their pre-covid volumes.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ghana: Marburg Virus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to monitor the re-emergence of the Marburg virus in Ghana.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As outlined in the International Development Strategy, the UK is committed to strengthening global health security. In Ghana, the UK recently trained 7,000 health workers on surveillance and response, including in the regions affected by the current Marburg outbreak. Ghana responded swiftly to the outbreak and continues to intensify containment measures, with all new suspected Marburg cases identified through surveillance activities. The UK continues to support Ghana on surveillance and infection prevention and control, and has offered to provide additional support if needed.More broadly, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are also providing technical support to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, to improve regional preparedness and response, and address weaknesses in health security systems in Ghana and neighbouring countries as needed. The FCDO's Emergency Medical Teams and UK Health Security Agency's Public Health Rapid Response Teams have expertise and capacity to be deployed at short notice and have recently provided support to African countries including Ghana, for Covid-19 and Ebola and Marburg outbreaks.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask Her Majesty's Government how muchmoney they plan to invest in improving and replacing living accommodation in barracks and married quarters for Armed Forces personnel in 2022/23.

Baroness Goldie: £460.358 million of investment is planned to improve and replace Single Living Accommodation and Service Family Accommodation across the UK Defence Estate for Armed Forces personnel in Financial Year 2022-23.

Armed Forces: Housing

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they invested in improving and replacing living accommodation in barracks and married quarters for Armed Forces personnel in 2021/22.

Baroness Goldie: £284.875 million has been invested in improving and replacing Single Living Accommodation and Service Family Accommodation for Armed Forces personnel across the UK Defence Estate in Financial Year 2021-22.

Armed Forces: Housing

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the status of their Single Living Accommodation Modernisation (SLAM) programme.

Baroness Goldie: The Single Living Accommodation Modernisation (SLAM) Programme is complete. The SLAM Programme was a 10 year contract awarded by the Ministry of Defence in 2002. In late 2012, during the last six months of the contract, 14 new build projects were added. Design and construction of these projects followed with completion in 2016. The Final Account of the SLAM Programme took place in 2017. The SLAM Programme was one of the largest new build and refurbishment programmes in the UK and delivered successful renovations and constructions on 52 locations from Scotland to Cornwall. 121 separate projects improved or created more than 22,000 bedspaces.

Warships: Repairs and Maintenance

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement of the £55 million contract to regenerate HMS Quorn,a former Royal Navy mine-hunting vessel, what plans they have for further refurbishment of naval vessels to bolster NATO’s maritime capability.

Baroness Goldie: There are currently no plans for the refurbishment of any former naval vessels.The Royal Navy routinely sells its surplus units to key allies and partners as new capabilities are brought into service.HMS Quorn is well suited to the Lithuanian Navy's requirements and will continue to support NATO maritime capability for many years to come.

Armed Forces: Housing

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people leaving the Armed Forces last year cited the quality of accommodation as one of the reasons for leaving.

Baroness Goldie: The requested information can be found on page 12 of the 2022-Armed Forces Continuous Attitudes Survey (AFCAS) results: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1075579/Armed_Forces_Continuous_Attitude_Survey_2022_Main_Report.pdf26 per cent of personnel cited accommodation provision as a factor influencing their intention to leave versus 37 per cent citing it as a factor influencing their intention to stay.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Infrastructure: Weather

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that infrastructure is resistant to high temperatures.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Climate Change Act 2008 created a framework for strengthening UK preparedness for dealing with risks caused by the changing climate. This includes: - Preparing, on a five yearly cycle, a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), followed by a National Adaptation Programme (NAP), setting out actions to address the risks identified in the latest CCRA (copy attached to this answer). - Providing the Secretary of State with the ‘Adaptation Reporting Power’ that enables us to require (or invite) public bodies and major infrastructure providers to report on their preparedness for climate change. The latest reports can be viewed online at gov.uk. Our electricity infrastructure is highly resilient and designed to operate in hot weather. In the event that energy infrastructure is impacted by extreme heat, the energy sector has long-standing plans and procedures to respond and repair any damage to infrastructure.UK CCRA 2022 (pdf, 354.0KB)

Agriculture: Animal Welfare and Environment Protection

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking tointroduce greater (1) environment, and (2) welfare, standards in farming.

Lord Benyon: Food production and environmental protection must go hand in hand. We want sustainable agriculture, so we want to work with farmers to deliver some of the environmental ambitions that we have. The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will incentivise farmers to look after the assets that protect our food security – like soil – and boost nature recovery. We have seen an explosion of interest in regenerative farming practices such as mob grazing, the use of herbal leys, companion crops in arable fields to help manage pests and diseases and the use of cover crops and green manures like phacelia and nitrogen fixing legumes to reduce fertiliser input costs. The SFI is a flexible support mechanism that will help fund whatever an individual farmer judges is right for their own holding in this space. We are starting the early rollout of the SFI with these soils standards because healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable farming and underpin a range of environmental benefits, as well as production. It will expand to cover integrated pest management, hedges and much more over the next few years. We will not tell farmers what they have to do in detailed prescriptions but we will support the choices they make. Animal health and welfare, genetic resources and our native breeds are a public good and it is right that the Agriculture Act recognised this for the first time. This year we will open the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway starting with a funded annual vet visit for livestock enterprises so that a trusted vet can offer strategic advice on animal health and welfare; managing pressing endemic diseases which have a major impact on farm profitability; and making recommendations on grants, available next year, to further improve welfare on farms. Many farms have a corner of their holding that is less productive and contributes little to food production or profit margins and where it is possible to create more space for nature. We already have over 31,000 farmers in our Countryside Stewardship schemes who are doing just that and being paid for it. This year we have bumped up the payment rates for many of the interventions by 30 percent both for those already in and those seeking to join and we are looking at the whole issue of what the EU termed “ineligible features” - the patches of scrub or the dew ponds in valleys that are actually an environmental asset to be rewarded not an ineligible feature to be penalised. Almost half of farmers are already engaged in some way.

Food Supply: Northern Ireland

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps theyare taking to ensure an (1) adequate, and (2) diverse, supply offood for those of (a) Orthodox Jewish faith, and (b) other faiths, in Northern Ireland.

Lord Benyon: We recognise the importance of ensuring that everyone in Northern Ireland is able to observe their chosen faith fully, and without hindrance. This includes those of Orthodox Jewish faith, who rely on free access to kosher meats and groceries. We have previously been made aware that a supplier decided to stop supplying kosher foods to Northern Ireland. They explained that this was owing to difficulty for them complying with the Official Controls Regulation which applies in Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol. We worked closely with those concerned to identify alternative options, and an alternative GB supplier of kosher foods was identified. We are not aware of any similar issues facing those of other faiths in Northern Ireland, but we do know that the Protocol is still causing real problems. It is our preference to resolve these problems through talks with the EU, but in the meantime the Government’s Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will fix the practical problems that the Protocol has created.

Agriculture: Subsidies

The Earl of Leicester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage offarm businesses in England have received the advance payment of theirBasic Payment Scheme from the Rural Payments Agency.

The Earl of Leicester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they havepaid out to farm businesses in England in advanced payment of the Basic Payment scheme.

Lord Benyon: As of 22 July 2022, 42.74% of farm businesses have been issued with Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) advance payments. This equates to a total value of £54.7M released in advance BPS funding. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is forecasting to have paid over 60,000 farmers (approx. 73%) by the end of the month. By the end of the second week of August, they expect to have paid 82,000 farmers who are eligible to receive a payment at this time. Prior to the payment run, RPA undertook preliminary checks to ensure the agreed funds were ready for release on schedule. There will inevitably be a small number of farmers who cannot be paid, for reasons such as: low claim value (under £1k); outstanding probate; and absence of bank details. RPA made efforts to contact all customers ahead of time where bank details were not held, in order to minimise the number of farmers whose payments could not be made. RPA will write to all farmers they believe are unlikely to receive their payment by the end of August.

UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement

Lord Trees: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their progress in meeting the commitment in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement to "ensure that … sanitary and phytosanitary measures do not create unnecessary barriers to trade".

Lord Benyon: The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) includes a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) chapter which allows the UK and the EU to take a risk-based approach to our respective SPS border controls and provides a basis for cooperation on avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade. Officials meet their counterparts on a regular basis to discuss the SPS provisions of the TCA. Where issues are raised, we are happy to pursue appropriate resolution. For example, through the provisions of the SPS Chapter, the UK is working with the EU to take forward electronic certification, which will facilitate trade through reducing delays and reducing business administration.

Home Office

Asylum: RAF Linton-on-Ouse

Baroness Hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL1093), which stated that the Home Office is liaising with the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency to finalise details of the provision of legal advice and representation for asylum seekers accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse, what consultation has taken or will take place with specialist immigration lawyers as to such provision.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The proposed site at Linton-on-Ouse is designed to facilitate and support interaction between Asylum Seekers and their chosen legal advisors, whereby those accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse will have the ability to access the support of legal representation, either face-to-face or remotely.If a decision is made to use the site, there will be dedicated private rooms where remote asylum case interviews and conversations between asylum seekers and their legal reps along with access to printers and scanners. The Service Provider will be the point of contact for support on-site for asylum seekers, legal reps and Case Workers. Additionally, individuals will also have 24/7 access to the Migrant Help hotline via the provision of phones which will enable issue reporting and complaints, plus signposting to legal aid.The Home Office continues to liaise with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice and Legal Aid Agency to finalise the details of this provision at Linton-on-Ouse.

Asylum: RAF Linton-on-Ouse

Baroness Hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL1091), which stated that the policy guidance for the assessment of the suitability of individual asylum seekers to be accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse will be reviewed as part of preparations to open the accommodation, what consultations have been undertaken or will take place with medical and other experts regarding the review; and what is the expected timetable for the review and the publication of new guidance.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Internal considerations are ongoing. The guidance will be published once a final decision is taken on Linton-on-Ouse.

Refugees: Europe Agreements

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to maintain their suspension of the Council of Europe Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees; whether they have expressed concerns to the government of Ireland about refugees obtaining international protection in Dublin having reached the Irish Republic by means of the European Agreement, then using the Common Travel Area to reach the United Kingdom to seek asylum; and what discussions they have had with the government of Ireland regarding their willingness to suspend the Agreement.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Her Majesty’s Government suspended the Council of Europe Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees (“the Agreement”) in 2003 on public order and security grounds. The government of Ireland suspended operation of the Agreement for a period of 12 months on 19 July 2022.The United Kingdom and Ireland have a regular dialogue relating to the operation of the Common Travel Area where issues such as border security risks and shared immigration challenges are discussed. Those who fear persecution should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – this is the fastest route to safety.Ireland is a safe country and, as such, it would not be appropriate for individuals to travel to the UK from Ireland to claim asylum.

Sexual Offences: Private Rented Housing

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the consultation on sex for rent will be launched; and whether stakeholders and relevant organisations will be invited to take part.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is clear that exploitation through ‘sex for rent’ has no place in our society.Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, there are two existing offences which can be used to prosecute this practice. In 2019, the CPS amended their guidance on ‘Prostitution and Exploitation of Prostitution’ to include specific reference to the potential availability of charges for offences under sections 52 and 53 of the 2003 Act when there is evidence to support the existence of ‘sex for rent’ arrangements. Both offences carry a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.In January 2021, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised the first charge for ‘sex for rent’ allegations under Section 52. The individual against whom these allegations were made pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting prostitution for gain earlier this year.These offences have also been included in Schedule 7 of the Online Safety Bill, which reflects the most serious and prevalent illegal content online. This will mean that services will be under a duty to proactively search for, remove and limit people’s exposure to this content, while also protecting users’ freedom of expression.We are committed to improving the protection of vulnerable people from exploitation. In the cross-Government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, which was published in July 2021, we committed to working with partners inside and outside of Government on the issue of sex-for-rent.We have also committed to launching a public consultation on the issue of sex-for-rent to hear as wide a range of views as possible on the nature of sex-for-rent; the existing response and what more could be done to prevent exploitation and protect victims. We are working to launch this consultation soon.

Immigration Bail

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have set the period of detention before an individual may apply for bail from immigration detention as seven days.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Paragraph 3(3) of Schedule 10 to The Immigration Act 2016 sets out the limitation on the First-tier Tribunal to grant immigration bail:A person who is being detained under paragraph 16(1) of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 must not be granted immigration bail by the First-tier Tribunal until after the end of the period of 8 days beginning with the date of the person's arrival in the United Kingdom. This limitation only applies to people detained under paragraph 16(1) of Schedule 2 pending examination and pending a decision to give or refuse leave to enter. It does not extend to those detained under paragraph 16(1A) of the Schedule, which is for the purpose of removal. The published detention policy makes it clear that detention must only be used when necessary, and for the shortest possible period. There is a presumption in favour of liberty for any person, and during this time, Secretary of State bail can be granted where appropriate in the individual case. Once a person is in detention, regular reviews are undertaken to ensure that their detention remains lawful, appropriate, and proportionate.

Asylum: Rwanda

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have carried out any research into alternative destinations to Rwanda as safe countries for migrants and asylum-seekers; and if so, with what conclusions.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are unable to comment on discussions that have been held with other countries. We are however committed to working closely with international partners as we act on fixing our broken asylum system. This ground-breaking Partnership is a model that could be replicated elsewhere, and we are always willing to work with partners around the world to tackle this joint challenge.

Asylum: Rwanda

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have that removal to Rwanda will be a deterrent to would-be economic migrants.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda is intended to break the business model of people smuggling gangs. Access to the UK’s asylum system should be based on need, not on the ability to pay people smugglers. By refusing those who arrive in the UK by unnecessary, illegal and dangerous methods to remain, the scheme breaks the people smugglers’ business model by not giving them the prospect of gaining entry to the UK to ‘sell’. Recognising that the policy is still at an early stage, we are currently working on a monitoring and evaluation plan which will be a cornerstone in measuring the effectiveness of this innovative arrangement. We will be able to set out more details on this in due course. This arrangement between the UK and Rwanda is part of a suite of measures aimed at breaking the business model of people smuggling gangs, and as with all policies its impact will be kept under review.

Licensing Act 2003

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of making public health a licensing objective by amending the Licensing Act 2003.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government has no plans to introduce Health as a Licensing Objective at this time.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 July (HL1285), how many individuals travelling in small boats across the English Channel they expect to arrive from France in (1) 2022, and (2) 2023.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office does not make forecasts of numbers crossing, given the multiplicity of variables involved.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Holiday Accommodation and Private Rented Housing

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to make the provision of long-term homes for private rent more appealing than supplying holiday lets.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: The sharing economy has brought many benefits to the tourism sector and wider economy, as well as creating an additional income stream for homeowners. However, we recognise that the increase in short-term letting has also prompted some concerns. These include the impact on the housing market and local communities particularly from those living in our most popular tourist destinations.   The Government committed in the Tourism Recovery Plan, published in June last year, to consult on a possible Short Term Accommodation Registration Scheme in England. A call for evidence as the first stage of that consultation process was published on 29 June and runs until 21 September. We will listen carefully to what local people and affected stakeholders have to say to make sure we respond appropriately with evidence-based policy proposals.

Private Rented Housing

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the demand for homes for private rent.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: The English Housing Survey provides information on housing stock. There was an expansion in the proportion of Private Rented Sector households from 2008 which peaked in 2017. Although there has been a slight downward trend since 2017, the proportion has remained relatively stable for nearly a decade at around 19% to 20%.

Private Rented Housing

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe size of the private rented housing sector; and whether their policy is to decrease that size.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: The proportion of households living in the private rented sector (PRS) has remained relatively stable over the past decade. The English Housing Survey shows that in 2012-13, the PRS accounted for 18% of households in England. In 2015-16, this increased slightly to 20%, decreasing slightly to 19% in 2019-20, and remaining stable at 19% households in 2020-21.Most people want to buy their own home one day and the government is firmly committed to helping Generation Rent to become Generation Buy. However, we also appreciate that this is not everyone's aspiration and that there are many people for whom renting a home is either a more practical or more affordable option. The PRS remains an important part of the housing market for the 4.4 million households who live there.The recent White Paper, 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector', sets out how the government will deliver a fairer, more secure, and higher quality PRS. The reforms are designed to provide good landlords with the support they need, and to make sure they have the confidence to continue operating in the market. We will continue to talk to landlords, local councils and other interested groups while monitoring the impact of our reforms on the sector.The government also strongly supports the expansion of the Build to Rent (BtR) market. BtR boosts housing supply, diversifies the private rental sector and increases quality and choice for renters in cities and towns across England. To support this, we have revised the National Planning Policy Framework and issued a new chapter of planning guidance to support the delivery of more BtR homes, including affordable rental homes.

Cabinet Office

Temperature: Public Sector

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how, and (2) when,they will report on the broader impacts of the hot weather on public services.

Lord True: All departments are responsible for monitoring and reporting on impacts from the extreme heat in their own sectors.For example, Network Rail are communicating regularly with the public on rail disruption.However, impacts related to the extreme heat were limited by the early and accurate weather forecasting by the Met Office, the effective preparedness and response at the local and national levels, and the positive response of the British public to warnings and advice issued by all sectors to take pressure off vital public services.

Emergencies

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the updating of the National Resilience Strategy; when it will be published; and whether they intend to incorporate the recommendations from the Institute for Government report Managing Extreme Risks, published on 20 July.

Lord True: The Integrated Review committed the Government to publishing a Resilience Strategy and in 2021 the Cabinet Office ran a Call for Evidence to inform this. The Strategy draws on a wide evidence base including international best practice; experience of recent crises; and external reports and recommendations on issues such as risk and critical national infrastructure from a range of organisations including Parliamentary Committees and formal advisory bodies.The Strategy will be published at the earliest opportunity by the incoming administration.

Brexit

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish quarterly lists of the identified benefits arising from the UK’s departure from the EU.

Lord True: We will not be publishing quarterly lists of the identified benefits. Outside the European Union, Parliament is now able to take advantage of a whole host of regulatory opportunities, spanning from agriculture to financial services, and immigration reform to improved medical regulations. The government has legislated to deliver many of these benefits already.On 22 June 2022, we published an interactive dashboard cataloguing over 2,400 pieces of retained EU law (REUL), spanning across 300 unique policy areas. The Brexit Freedoms Bill, announced in the Queen’s Speech, will strengthen the Government’s ability to amend, repeal and replace REUL and will support the Government’s ambition to ensure that, now that we have left the EU, the UK can be the “best regulated economy in the world” and move away from the EU’s obsolete “one size fits all” regulatory model.To ensure that the public knows how much EU-derived law there is on the UK statute book and how much progress the Government is making to reform it, we will be updating the catalogue of REUL on a quarterly basis.

Treasury

Fuel Oil: VAT Zero Rating

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the potential benefit of zero-rating VAT on fuel oil to assist households that are reliant on fuel oil to heat their homes; andwhat plans they have to reduce VAT on fuel oil.

Baroness Penn: This year the Government is providing over £37 billion in cost of living support, including helping people cope with the impact of higher energy bills, with £400 off their bills from October through the expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) and with millions of the most vulnerable households due to receive at least £1,200 in total.Domestic fuels such as gas, electricity and heating oil are not subject to the standard rate of VAT at 20 per cent but to a reduced rate of VAT at only 5 per cent.The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Debts: Cost of Living

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of increases to the cost of living on problem debt; and what steps that are taking to reduce problem debt.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of increases to the cost of living on problem debt for those in the bottom 40 per cent of equivalised household incomes; and what steps they are taking to protect such households from problem debt.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps theMoney and Pensions Service is taking tohelpthose in need of debt advice know where to seek it.

Baroness Penn: The Government is committed to monitoring and understanding personal debt levels in the UK, including the impact of cost-of-living pressures, and help individuals access appropriate guidance and support if they need help to get their finances back on track. Different organisations measure and define ‘problem debt’ in different ways. The Government monitors personal debt levels by working closely with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) , the Financial Conduct Authority and by engaging regularly with many other stakeholders on their research and findings. MaPS undertakes an annual survey of Debt Need to understand how many people are facing financial difficulties and to better understand their characteristics, needs and preferences. The most recent survey indicated that 16% (around 8.5 million) of the UK adult population needed debt advice, with a further 20% (around 10.6 million) ‘at risk’ and likely to need help if their situation deteriorates. To help people in problem debt, the Government continues to maintain record levels of funding for free-to-consumer debt advice in England in 2022-23, bringing this year’s debt advice budget for MaPS to over £90 million. In addition to this, the Government launched the Breathing Space scheme in England and Wales last year. The scheme gives eligible people in problem debt who receive professional debt advice access to a 60-day period in which enforcement action is paused and most fees, charges and interest are frozen. Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space is an additional strand of Breathing Space that enables people receiving mental health crisis treatment to access the protections of the scheme for the full duration of their treatment, plus a further 30 days. In 2021, MaPS set up a single point of entry for the service and commissioned a dedicated pilot, delivered by Rethink Mental Illness. The Government also continues to develop the Statutory Debt Repayment Plan (SDRP), a statutory agreement that will enable a person in problem debt to combine their debts into a single repayment plan, with payments made over a manageable time period, while receiving legal protections from creditor action for the duration of their plan. To help people access debt advice, MaPS launched MoneyHelper in 2021, a consumer-facing service which provides free and impartial guidance for people across the UK. This includes budget planning and bill prioritiser tools, practical tips for engaging with creditors and a Debt Advice Locator Tool, which helps people find free, high-quality debt advice in their local area or via telephone and online. MaPS has also developed the Money Advisor Network pilot which enables a range of organisations including Job Centre Plus, local authorities and financial service providers to refer people for free to MaPS funded debt advice. The individuals referred can either proceed immediately to debt advice, request a call-back at a more convenient time or schedule an in-person appointment.

Food: VAT

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to reduce VAT in response to rising grocery bills.

Baroness Penn: VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to the vast majority of goods and services. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. One exception is the zero-rate of VAT the UK applies to many foods, including fresh fruit, vegetables, cereals, meat, bread, milk, tea, and coffee, to help ensure food is affordable for families. VAT makes a significant contribution to the UK public finances, being forecast to raise £135 billion in 2021-22 and helping to fund key spending priorities. Any reduction in tax paid is a reduction in the money available to support important public services, including the NHS and policing. The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Airlines: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they made an assessment in 2020 of whether limiting their support of UK airlines through access to furlough funding would have an impact on the airlines’ staff numbers and post-pandemic capacity.

Baroness Penn: The economic impact of the pandemic was widespread across large parts of the economy. It was right that the Government made support available for all businesses that needed it for the whole of the UK. To clarify, any entity with a UK payroll, including airlines, was able to apply for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). When designing and implementing the scheme, the Government carefully considered its impacts on individual sectors and on the economy as a whole, and adapted its approach in response to the changing health and economic context. In addition to CJRS, the Government provided unprecedented support to the aviation and aerospace sectors throughout Covid-19, with over £12 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, and grants for research and development.

Central Bank Digital Currencies

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to provide an update on the progress of evaluating the potential benefits of a UK Central Bank Digital Currency.

Baroness Penn: The UK, like many other countries globally, is actively exploring the potential role of Central Bank Digital Currencies. A range of factors motivate the exploratory work, which the Bank of England has explored in their discussion paper, including: improving access to central bank money; increasing the resilience of payments; and developing more efficient, cheaper payments. No decision has yet been made on the issuance of a CBDC, which would be a major national infrastructure project, however; as part of the process of research and exploration, HM Treasury and the Bank of England will publish a consultation later in 2022 setting out their assessment of the case for a UK CBDC, including the merits of further work to develop an operational and technology model for a UK CBDC.

Cryptocurrencies: Regulation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to discuss an approach to crypto-asset regulation withother countries and international bodies.

Baroness Penn: As set at out Fintech Week in April, the UK is committed to establishing a world-leading regulatory regime for cryptoassets. Given the cross-border nature of cryptoassets, the UK is committed to working with other jurisdictions and through the international standard-setting bodies to support harmonisation of treatment as far as is feasible. HM Treasury is engaging extensively with international partners on cryptoasset regulation on a bilateral basis. For example, HM Treasury hosted the Regulatory Pillar of the Financial Innovation Partnership with the US Treasury in June. Attendees exchanged views on cryptoasset regulation and market developments, including recent developments in relation to stablecoins and the exploration of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The UK is also active in international work on cryptoassets being carried out through global fora, including the G7, G20, OECD, IMF and the Financial Stability Board (FSB).

Women and Equalities

Cars: Hire Services

Lord Soley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether car hire companies are legally permitted to refuse a car rental to a full licence holder on the basis of age.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: I refer the Noble Lord to my previous answer to question HL1125 of 4 July 2022.

Gender: Equality

Baroness Gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the commitment in their policy paper Gender equality at every stage: a roadmap for change, published in July 2019, to provide an annual progress report to Parliament, where the reports they have already made can be found; and when they plan to publish their next report.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: In December 2020 the Minister for Women and Equalities set out a new approach to tackling inequality, including in relation to gender. This involves moving beyond the previous roadmap and narrow focus of protected characteristics; and reflects the new expanded remit of the Equality Hub.Since then, the Hub has been concentrating on improving the quality of evidence and data about disparities and the types of barriers different people face. This evidence is enabling us to support the development of policy across government to make the UK a fairer place to live and work.